Despite flight to fame, celeb talent isn't as sure a bet as CMOs think

"Nearly two-thirds (63%) of Super Bowl ads featured one or more celebrity talents this year, according to data from TV measurement company iSpot. Back in 2011, only around a quarter of ads included an A-lister, but a reliance on Hollywood names has been typical of Big Game ads since the start of this decade. It's part of a broader pattern. The "built-in affinity" a top name can bring means it's "an easy place to go," said Mike Hayward, chief creative officer at agency Copacino Fujikado."

"Such deals can cost brands between $3 million and $5 million a pop (and that's before the media costs associated with running a Super Bowl, or similarly scaled campaign). But chosen well, they confer a powerful "prestige effect" upon a brand, said Tim Derdenger, associate professor of marketing and strategy at Carnegie Mellon's Tepper School of Business. "You're tying your brand to that other brand and trying to capture the golden halo effect around that other brand," he said."

"Benson Boone and Ben Stiller for Instacart. Adrian Brody for Intuit TurboTax. Emma Stone for Squarespace. Odd-couple pairings between celebrity talent and consumer brands aren't a novelty for Super Bowl ads, but the sheer number of brands relying on a famous face to help them cut through with viewers at home this year was notable. Nearly two-thirds (63%) of Super Bowl ads featured one or more celebrity talents this year, according to data from TV measurement company iSpot."

Celebrity pairings dominated Super Bowl advertising, with 63% of ads featuring at least one famous talent, up from about 25% in 2011. Brands employ celebrities to leverage built-in affinity, increase memorability, and create a prestige effect despite $3–5 million talent fees plus media expenses. High-profile pairings ranged from Benson Boone and Ben Stiller for Instacart to Emma Stone for Squarespace and Andy Cohen for Nerds. Research links celebrity tie-ins to measurable economic gains; Nike's association with Tiger Woods correlated with a 2.5% lift in golf ball sales over ten years, equating to over $100 million. Brands pursue celebrities amid fragmented media landscapes.

Read at Digiday